Englman participated today (Tuesday) in the opening ceremony of the legal year at the Tel Aviv Bar Association. In his remarks, he accused the military and the Prime Minister’s Office of a lack of full coordination regarding the drafting of a report on the October 7 events. Englman stated, “The military system, with the backing of the legal advisor, has set up high and impenetrable walls that effectively obstruct the scrutiny. The Prime Minister’s Office, while providing materials, continues to create obstacles that delay and disrupt the necessary professional actions.”
Englman continued: “Both the military and the Prime Minister’s Office, each at different levels of severity, do not convey the expected ethical and public resilience, which fundamentally involves a willingness for genuine, unrestricted scrutiny, even if the results are severe and harsh.”
He added, “Let us not deceive ourselves; it is doubtful whether this value can be restored in the future. Its erosion, and some might say its neglect, at this time, in such a severe manner, could be irreversible. State audit during wartime is complex but essential to Israel’s democratic fabric. Our commitment is to all Israeli citizens, and all levels of government will be required to fulfill their responsibilities.”
In response, the IDF spokesperson stated that the IDF respects the Supreme Court's decision and will cooperate with the State Comptroller in a manner that does not impair its wartime functions.
“The IDF respects the institution of the Comptroller and is working to enable all scrutiny without harming the war effort and operational focus, precisely as mandated by the Supreme Court. In our response to the Supreme Court, we emphasized that implementing the Comptroller's proposed review framework during an ongoing war on multiple fronts would have a significant and tangible impact on the security bodies' effectiveness.
The IDF also proposed to start the review immediately on several issues, subject to security developments, but this proposal was rejected by the State Comptroller,” the statement concluded.